The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-10-19

the Christian womans Board of Missions on
the understanding that in Difference to
the wishes aud ,,.h 10 AID whom oi this sne
society assisted materially. some mission work
should be done by the board in that State In
harmony with this understanding the State
board Of the Michigan Christian Missionary As
ISOLATION selected Ann Arbor as the neld Tor the
new mission. The reasons for this choice were
that Ann Arbor is a city OF about ten Thousand
gan University. This institution and the city
high-schooi, which is preparatory to it. have
over two thousand students in attendance. and
these are from all parts of this country and
from other countries Many OF them are from
the homes of Disciples: and it is now ascertained
that there are between forty and fifty Disciples
in the city who very DESTROYS of enjoying
such church privileges tney have had through
life in other places. After hearing some favor
the convention adjourned for the afte rnoon.
The evening session, held at the First Presby-
terrain Church. was opened with devotional ex-
ercises conducted by Prof B. j. Radford. OF
Eureka, III. A song service followed. and a solo
beautifully rendered by Mrs. J. r. Wilson, Of
this city. The speaker of the evening. Mrs A
Her subject was THE Christian Women of the
First and Nineteenth Centuries" She said that
the New Testament presented some beautiful
pictures of the women of the first
century. The touch of inspiration
is On them and from them may be learned
Christs regard for women. The scenes or
amounting the Savior's head and washing His
feet with her tears were then graphically
sketched. and the speaker continued: There
other pictures of great beauty, and in them
Christ is always in the foreground 1t is singu-
lar that the names of these early Christian
women almost the only ones of all Christs
associates that are preserved, except the names
of the apostles Even the seventy not
known by NAME but the names of the women
who were associated with Him are household
words throughout the Christian world. Why
was this honor bestowed on women? Was il not
intended to confer on her q special honor In the
Christian work which man would not otherwise
coneede to herl
cit has been said that Christ never
called woman to follow Him because
He knew that they would follow
Him without any special call. He saw all
their loving ministry, and knew that in the hour
of tribulariop womans hands and womans
heart would not falter. There reason for
this devotion Woman had been a drudge and
slave. little better than animal. Even
among the cultured Greeks. Socrates was accus-
toned to thank the goods that he was not born a
slave woman. With the Romans the hus-
band was the master, with the power of life and
death With the Jews her situation some
what better, for God had put some restrictions
in his law. But now came one who spoke to
her never man spake. Woman found friend
and helper sucn she had never known in the
Christ of prophecy. No wonder her heart was
full of gratitude. 1t is not strange that in all
the suffering of the Man of Sorrows there is
record of an unkind deed or word from woman.
How 1 describe the sublime faith of the
women of that tme2 The world has it's heroines
well it's heroes. and them in the
front row stands Mary, the mother of Jesus.
When the messenger of the Lord came to her
she ola not question, but accepted the divine
communication with implicit confidence The
faith of the woman who would but touch the
hem of his garment was wonderfully great The
faith of the Canaanitsh woman who would not
be driven away attracted the direct commenda-
ton of the Savior. When the days of suffering
laid in the tomb the women came at the early
dawn. They knew that the Roman soldier
guarded il, and that they could not roll away the
stone, but they kept in faith. They found
the stone rolled away. and instead of the soldier
the angel of God. So, too, by the results OF her
faith woman became the first herald of risen
Savior. They went with the disciples. too. to
tell the story throughout the world, and did tell
it in the face of all trials and dangers.
What lessons they teach the of to-
day. And how does their work compare with
ours who have so much greater privileges and
opportunities especially OF late years. The
bars and fences that surrounded opportunities
for learning have been torn away until to-day
the position of woman towards education is if
she and will she may. Woman has taken
advantage of this. but what is the self-im-
provement. culture. as it is now popularity
called that she has acquired? Does it
consist merely of SO much knowledge to be
held as our own. as SO much landt If so itSs
useless. If knowledge is obtained simply from
n pride of learning, it Is vanity and sin.
Can it not be made useful? Woman's sphere
outlined by the Creator at the beginning when
he set enmlty between her aud all wrong.
Woman fills her mission only when she devotes
herself to 5rulsing the head of Satan. We have
no right to pursue knowledge for mere
pleasure In view OF all the
nations calling for light there
be any question to the line of woman's
duty. Woman has more leisure. more SYM
pathy, more tact and more patience than man.
She go where man cannot and do what he
cannot century ago there were few channels
for woman's work. Now there are many. What
we need is conservation, faith. and zeal-not for
the propagation of creeds and dogmas, but to
spread the truth of God to all nations"
At the close of Mrs. Atkinson's remarks Mrs
Ferree explained that it had been decided to col
lect a thank offering, and made appeal for
liberality. The cash collected vas about 1925.
and pledges given for four five times
that amount in addition. The audience was
then dismissed.
This morning, at o'clock. the Foreign Chris
.ian Missionary Society will meet at Central
Christian Church. AT some time during the day
Rev. Geo +. Smith, of Japan, will talk of the
work in that country. In the evening Rev. 1
Bayard Craig OF Denver, will preach at the First
Presbyterian Church.